• EcoMethod
• ReMethod
• Carbon Challenge
  • 2030 Challenge
  • Living Building Challenge
  • Oregon Carbon Challenge
  • The Big Look Task Force
  • Portland Development Commission - Strategic Plan 2008-2012
  • ODOT - Context Sensitive and Sustainable Solutions Approach (CS³)
  • Western Climate Initiative
  • USGBC LEED - Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design^®
• Goals
• How We Work Together

The Carbon Challenge

Portland Development Commission - Strategic Plan 2008-2012

The Portland Development Commission has developed a Mission, Goals and Five Strategies that they will pursue for the years 2008 through 2012. EcoLogistics is especially suited to help the PDC and its affiliates to accomplish some of these goals.

PDC Strategy 1:
Foster an open, inclusive, and accountable approach to economic development and prosperity in the city and region.

PDC Key Action:
Invest resources in home and business ownership to provide opportunities for wealth creation.

EcoLogistics Ability to Further the PDC Strategy and Key Action

EcoLogistics has done extensive research on the market dynamics related to the construction industry and the available input / output economic models that can be used to predict the direct, indirect and induced economic benefits of a particular project within a particular benefit area. EcoLogistics has developed a method to accurately survey the potential pool of businesses that are qualified for a particular construction project and reasonably determine the likelihood that the task or service will be sourced locally that greatly improves the accuracy of the IMPLAN economic modeling software. This enhanced input analysis will help communicate the likely economic benefits to the study area with transparency and a higher degree of accuracy than is otherwise available using IMPLAN alone. This also allows us to compare economic benefit scenarios between a managed sourcing strategy and a market-based predictive model.

PDC Strategy 2:
Position "communication" - listening as well as informing - at the center of every initiative we undertake.

PDC Key Action:
Invest in new and emerging technology to effectively enhance communications with our diverse public.

EcoLogistics Ability to Further the PDC Strategy and Key Action

EcoLogistics has developed the EcoMethod process to measure and communicate specific impacts to the community related to the construction process. These metrics include measurement of indirect costs including; CO2 emissions from the construction process, materials as specified, infrastructure wear and tear as well as to measure opportunity costs such as job training, job retention, local business investment opportunities as well as economic analysis of the indirect and induced "economic churn" probabilities within a construction project.

PDC Key Action:
Sustain a dialog with the business community and respond to their needs and motivating factors.

EcoLogistics Ability to Further the PDC Strategy and Key Action

EcoLogistics provides cutting-edge communication platform to inform the business community about the way that the project bidders' proposals are responsive to PDC goals and strategies and key action plans. These measurements are logical, practical and transparent which will allow the business community to understand the ways that they can modify their business practices to better allow them to compete for PDC work, increase their efficiency and better meet the needs of the community in the way that they perform their work.

PDC Key Action:
Build renewed and more productive partnerships between the PDC Board and City Council.

EcoLogistics Ability to Further the PDC Strategy and Key Action

The cutting-edge communications that are embedded into the EcoMethod process will have the effect of informing City Council as to the specific ways that PDC is spending money towards their goals and to quantify the traction that is available on a trade-by-trade, project-by-project basis. This enhanced communication and specific data will enhance confidence in the PDC by the City Council and foster a better working relationship and to discover additional ways to promote each other's agendas.

PDC Strategy 3:
Seek and cultivate new and mutually beneficial partnerships.

PDC Key Action:
Support and develop a synergistic relationship between schools and industry for workforce development and job training.

EcoLogistics Ability to Further the PDC Strategy and Key Action

EcoLogistics examines and quantifies the training and local job creation opportunities for every construction project. Using this information, the PDC will get current and detailed status reports regarding the availability of public and private resources for each project and the potential for private participation. This type of feedback will continually improve the training and education programs' efforts to create more beneficial services while also informing the private contracting community as to the specific programs and resources available to them. Enhanced communication will provide enhanced results.

PDC Key Action:
Pair established developers in mentoring relationships with emerging local developers.

EcoLogistics Ability to Further the PDC Strategy and Key Action

EcoLogistics, through the EcoMethod process, provides a highly collaborative process that includes discussions of development techniques and systems that will provide substantial mentoring value to a less experienced developer. Since EcoLogistics was created by a development company, many of the fundamental development strategies are integrated into the process. Inexperienced developer's will not only get sound traditional development techniques and training but will also get cutting-edge, sustainable development training and an extensive knowledge of the subcontracting and materials resources in the area.

PDC Key Action:
Use PDC tools, technical expertise, and influence to help make Portland the world's sustainability center.

EcoLogistics Ability to Further the PDC Strategy and Key Action

EcoLogistics is THE transition plan to a construction process that has lower carbon emissions, high efficiency logistics, and is supportive of local business and economies. Widespread use of the EcoMethod will lower impacts to the environment, empower resources to embrace sustainable techniques and provide feedback to manufacturers and business's that they are going to have to demonstrate their efforts to be more sustainable in their approach to their business activities.

PDC Strategy 4:
Develop new and innovative tools to finance the city's livability and development objectives.

PDC Key Action:
Invest to grow Portland's future revenue base.

EcoLogistics Ability to Further the PDC Strategy and Key Action

EcoLogistics, through the EcoMethod process will identify opportunities to invest in local businesses and promote job training and job retention efforts. All of these efforts will result in long-term revenue growth through increased income taxes and property taxes.

Strategy 5:
Care for the job satisfaction and professional development needs of the people of the organization and cultivate organizational health and diversity.

Key Action:
Support a skilled workforce by investing in training and career development, including specific focus on performance and project management, business, marketing and financial expertise.

EcoLogistics Ability to Further the PDC Strategy and Key Action

EcoLogistics, through its collaboration with PDC staff will provide insight as to the market conditions and variables that are in play for each project. Using this information, PDC staff can use its existing resources to further pursue opportunities that may not have otherwise been identified. PDC staff will also get valuable information about the development and contracting processes that will enhance their interaction with the development and contracting community.